In an effort to understand the fundamental aspects of papova virus transcription, we have devised a method of fractionating cells without inactivating endogenous RNA polymerase. With both SV40 and polyoma infected cells, the method separates the bulk of the viral DNA from cellular chromatin. At 0.2M salt, the chromatin fraction, but not the solubilized viral DNA, contains RNA polymerase which is associated with the viral template (viral transcription complex, VTC). At 0.4M salt, about 50% of the SV40 VTC is solubilized from the chromatin, but no further VTC is released by extraction at 0.8M salt. We plan to utilize the chromatin and soluble fractions in studies concerning the nature of the viral template for "early" and "late" RNA synthesis, and with regard to the basis of symmetrical viral RNA synthesis, i.e., transcription off both strands of DNA.